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Kinetic Knight brings hope for robotics program to Cuba

Kincardine Kinetic Knights' member Meagan Quade donated a laptop and resources to a group of children near Veradero, Cuba this past spring. Quade's goal is to help the group build a FIRST robotics program once political boundaries soften between the US and Cuba. (Submitted)

Kincardine's Meagan Quade is helping to bring robotics to a small Cuban town.

Quade, a Kinetic Knights Team 781 robotics member, donated both a laptop, computer programs and manuals when she travelled to Boca De Camioka, near Veradero, Cuba this past spring.

Since then she's secured the blessing of FIRST Robotics, but because it's a United States-based organization, the opening of the 50-year political standoff between the US and Cuba plays a roll in making it a reality.

"FIRST was behind us 100 per cent," said Quade. "When Cuba and the US open up relations, they'll be able to get to partner with teams in the US, or have their own competitions."

She also arranged with FIRST Lego League (FLL) in Kincardine to send a box of parts, programs, and the transformer to operate the Lego robots by airmail this August. She said her teammates have had her back in helping translate game manuals and make the project a reality.

Quade said the idea came during their trip to the FIRST world championships in St. Louis, when the founder inspired her to "spread the message of FIRST around the world."

"I wanted to take it somewhere they wouldn't have heard about," she said.

Having travelled to Cuba before, Quade made arrangements with a hotel manager where she stayed prior to the trip, who then helped set up a group of about a dozen children. They have since help draw another half dozen to the program and the hope is to grow in the future, she said.

Quade drew up the presentation and with the help of a FIRST team in Mexico City, translated the presentation into Spanish prior to her trip.

When the time arrived during her trip, Quade delivered her presentation featuring 20 slides, and links to videos about FIRST showing the games and activities the teams take part in. The children asked her questions in Spanish and if she couldn't answer them, the hotel manager helped her communicate with them.

"It was so fantastic," she said.

Also assisting Team 781 are teams in North Bay and Sarnia, who are also collecting FIRST Lego League supplies for the shipment.

Quade said she spent four years with FLL and she looks back on the experience and friends she made as building blocks to who she is. Her hope is the program will give new opportunities to the children, so they can build and take part in the challenges like she did.

"I'm really excited to see what their robot will look like," she said. "Maybe they could make it to the Worlds (Championships). And they're all so eager, so it's the best I could have asked for."